More
by Underneath All Elsewhere
Summary: Most people called him the worst possible names they could think of, but she had just called him sweet, and as much as he hated that word...he liked her. JayManny
1. Party Hardy

Summary: Jay and Manny hang out a little more after "We Got the Beat."

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**"More"**

**Chapter 1: Party Hardy**

She gasped lightly as he slipped an arm around her waist from behind. Resting his head on her shoulder, he smiled warmly. "Did you miss me?" He whispered. Manny looked to her left, and realized that it was Jay's head on her shoulder, not Craig's.

"Ew, no!" She yelled, pulling out of his grasp and moving away from him. Being the wild child that she was, she had thrown another party. Hopefully no one was fatally stabbed and killed this time. She had pondered over the problems that could arise from throwing yet another big party, but she had never imagined that Jay harassing her would have been one of them.

"Look babe, I pretended to be your boyfriend, the least you could do is give me some." Jay begin thrusting his hips forward, basically having sex with thin air. Without even knowing, she heard a small chuckle escape her throat. "Did I hear precious princess Manny actually _laugh_ at one of my disgusting, dirty jokes?" Rolling her eyes at him, she chuckled again.

"It wasn't that bad you know," she said calmly, walking back over to him. "Do you not have any friends?" His face fell slightly, and she realized that that wasn't the most polite thing to say someone you barely knew.

Shrugging nonchalantly, he began, "Well, Amy and Towerz are long gone, Alex moved to Ajax, Sean's in the army, and...that's about it." Putting his index finger to his lips and tilting his head a little to the left, he began to think. "And Emma hates me. Never really considered her much of a friend anyways, but you know..." Without finishing his train of thought, Jay began to chug the whiskey he had been holding in his hand straight from the bottle.

"Bitch, you gave her a social disease!" Manny retorted, seeming to think that he had forgotten the schoolwide scandal.

Shaking his head a little bit, he said, "No, she gave me free blow jobs in a beat up old van. I didn't force her to. She gave _herself_ a social disease." Chuckling softly once more, Manny caught herself. Why was she laughing at her best friend of all people? Hell, she couldn't help it. Jason Hogart was fucking hilarious.

Smirking cockily, he reached over and slid his arm around Manny's waist again. "I have a way with women," he said, pulling her closer and taking another sip of his alcohol. Slurring his words, he said, "You look really hot tonight, sweets. Where's your boyfriend?" She placed a hand on his chest and laughed.

Also slurring her words, she declared, "I went out with Damien for a little bit. And then we broke up-" she chuckled, "and then there was a rumor about me being racist. Ha!" As she continued laughing uncontrollably, Jay realized that the petite brunette was drunk.

"What have you been drinking, honey?" He asked curiously. Not knowing that little princess Manny drank liquor was a big thing. Then it hit him. "You're not a virgin, are you?"

Still laughing, she shook her head, her curls bobbing up and down. "Hell no! I've fucked Craig Manning, Spinner Mason, and I could have fucked any other guy I wanted to back then."

Blowing air out in between his teeth, he shook his head. "Wow, didn't know you ran around town like that darling." Pausing just to tease her, he added, "Well, I knew about Spin of course, cause he's my boy, but _Craig_?

When she caught her breath, she responded. "I know right? What the hell was I thinking?" She paused to think for a moment. "You know what's even more sad?" Shaking his head, Jay looked down at the girl. Now standing with her arm around his waist, he felt confident that he was going to get an easy lay tonight.

"He was my first," she told him, erupting into a fit of giggles once again. Jay couldn't help but to join in.

"That whiny ass emo douche was your _first_?" He shouted incredulously. She nodded, and gripped his waist tighter. Sipping whiskey and hanging out with girls were two of Jay's favorite things. Boy, was he having a hell of a good time right now!

"Well," Manny began, "I thought I loved him, but he was the biggest mistake of my life. He got me pregnant, and after I had the abortion, he went right back to the bitch he cheated on. Then when he came back from Vancouver, he chose to snort coke over me."

"Wow, that's some serious stuff," Jay said, actually beginning to look concerned. Manny nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "I mean, who would choose getting high over getting a piece of Manny Santos _every_ night?" She swatted at his broad shoulder.

"Oh, stop it, you pig! We didn't go at it every night." She paused, and Jay could see the beginnings of a grin forming on her face. "But sex was a _big_ part of our relationship." Jay laughed again and rested his head on top of hers.

"Who woulda thunk it? Craig Manning, stud." He then straightened himself up and glanced down at Manny. They both started laughing heartily, and then they both stopped and looked each other in the eyes. "Oh, don't go getting all serious on me now."

Ignoring his comment and pressing on, she said, "Let's go dance." Jay shook his head, and a goofy smile came over his face.

"You're smokin' hot, but me...and you? _Dancing_?" She shook her head, and swatted at his chest with her free hand.

"No, silly! _Grinding_. Like sexy dancing and stuff." Jay smirked and swigged his whiskey again.

"Wow, you really _are_ drunk." He shook his head and blinked a few times. "And so am I. So what the hell? Let's go grind our asses off." He clumsily removed his arm from her waist and she removed her arm from his waist. Reaching for her hand, he barely noticed her reach over and snatch the whiskey bottle from his hand. Letting his head roll, he grumbled, "You're really slick, you know that?"

She grinned, pressed the sickly green bottle to her lips, and let the spicy liquor flow down her throat and into her stomach. After she guzzled some more of the awful tasting liquor, she handed the bottle back to Jay. "Ahh! That was great," she lied. She felt like she could hurl any second. Seeming to be deep in thought, she began to look at Jay strangely.

"What?" he slurred. _Damn, he sounds sexy, she thought. I could sure take that to bed tonight. Shaking her head absently, she thought, what am I saying to myself? _

_"_Why am I even talking to you?" she asked him, grabbing onto his shirt and leaning over. This caused him to stumble backwards a little, and he eventually tripped over a stray sneaker lying in the middle of the hallway that they had been standing in. Falling down and landing right on his back, Jay cursed.

"Fuck!" He noticed that Manny had also fallen, right on top of him to be exact. She giggled and sat up, practically straddling him.

"You sound so hot when you swear," she said, and giggled a little bit more. Jay shook his head in complete and utter disgust. She had gotten way too drunk, way too fast.

"Um, what were you saying?" He asked, trying to ignore the fact that a hot girl was on top of him and they were both drunk.

"I just wondered why I was talking to you." She ran a hand through her hair, and then pressed one of her hands onto Jay's chest. Thank God they were in an empty hallway, he thought.

"Oh," he said. "Um, maybe because you have nothing better to do?" She rejected his answer and laughed.

"I could be out with Emma and Darcy right now, how could hanging out with _you_ be better than hanging out with them?" She poked a finger into his chest, and Jay laughed. "Ha, Jay Jay's ticklish!"

He sat up a little, having to crane his neck. Manny may have been tiny, but she was not light. "Hanging out with the Jayster is awesome! And who said you could give me an annoying pet name, you're not my girlfriend...yet." He squeaked out the last word as if in pain. Manny laughed.

"Well, hanging out with you is proving to be not _that _bad. And I give everyone I know pet names. And...I think you'd make an awesome boyfriend Jay!" She leaned down and rested her head on his chest. Pressing her body fully against his, she also entwined their legs.

Suddenly, the pair heard laughter coming from another nearby hallway, but they were too wasted to even attempt to move. It was Danny and Derek. Gosh, of all people to be at her party, Danny and Derek would have been last on the invite list.

She heard a voice. "I gotta piss," it said. It was probably Danny, Derek was a little more innocent...well, as innocent as Derek Haig could be. Next, the sound of footsteps filled her ears and then she felt Danny kick her leg.

"Holy damn!" he whispered, reaching into his back pocket for his cell phone. He grabbed Derek's arm and pointed at the almost passed out couple. "It's Manny and Jay, they had sex!"

Derek shrugged Danny's hand off. "How do you know man? He's the blow job king! She probably just got on her knees for him." Danny shook his head and flipped his cell phone open. "This is going on my MyRoom page, man!" He snapped a picture of the two, and let out a guttural laugh. His hand then flew to his mouth, trying to stop his laughter so that he wouldn't disturb the couple. After snapping a few more pictures, he jumped over them and pushed open the only door in the deserted hallway, which Manny assumed was one of her house's many bathrooms. Derek took a seat on the floor and sighed.

Jay and Manny lay there in silence while Danny peed, washed his hands, and jumped over them again. They finally heard the sound of footsteps again when he and Derek walked back towards the living room area. Gripping Jay's shoulder for support, Manny sat up, and looked around. Man, were they alone. Even though she'd probably regret it later, she could have had sex with him and no one would have known. That was probably better than not having sex with him and everyone knowing because of Danny, King Jack Ass. Making a mental note to get Danny back later, Manny looked down and realized that Jay was fast asleep. Leaning down close to his face, she decided to lick it to wake him up.

Jay shot straight up, knocking Manny over. She started to laugh again when she saw the expression on Jay's face. He looked like he had seen a ghost. "Aw, Jason, were you dreaming about me?" Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he rolled his shoulders back and forth, trying to get the sleep out of his bones.

"Give or take, sure," he slurred. He stumbled into Manny, and then stood up. Once he was standing up as straight as he could, Jay pulled Manny up by her forearm.

Pushing herself onto his body, she grabbed his biceps and grinned. "You're strong, I like that." Jay nodded, and smiled back at her. "Piggyback!"

"What?" he asked, wondering what in the hell she was talking about.

"I want a piggyback ride, you asshole!" She then grabbed his shoulder and leaped onto his back, causing Jay to wince.

"God, Manny! You're not that light, you know."

"I don't care," she said, adjusting her legs so that she could wrap them around his waist. Catching her legs in his hands, Jay stopped for a second.

"Hold the fuck up a minute!" he shouted. "Where the hell is my whiskey?"

Manny looked at the floor and then looked back at Jay. Ruffling his hair a little, she bit his earlobe playfully. "Who knows? Danny and Derek probably took it." Jay was furious. All of a sudden, he broke into a run, heading for the living room.

Of course Jay didn't know of such dorks, so Manny had to point them out to him. As soon as Danny and Derek came into view, Jay charged towards them like a bull to its matador. He let go of Manny's legs and she jumped off his back. Danny and Derek were sitting on the floor with two freshman girls, laughing it up.

"And so then, the guy goes...I like your dress, but it'd look better crumpled up on my bedroom floor! Aha ha ha ha!" The four of them burst into hysterics, and then Jay stepped in. He reached down and snatched Danny up by his collar. "Where's my liquor, punk?"

Gasping for air, Danny choked out, "I dunno man, me and Derek didn't touch it." Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw Derek shoving his empty whiskey bottle out of sight and into another hallway. Still holding Danny up by one hand, he went and grabbed Derek by the collar, too. "You two punks drank it!" The two boys gulped and Danny squeaked, "Sorry. We're really really sorry. We didn't mean to, it's just that we'd never had liquor before and w-w-we wanted to try s-s-some."

"Got a st-st-stutter?" Jay asked harshly. "You two little punks better stay away from me and my liquor or else." Extending his arm to punch Danny, he felt Manny tug him backwards, which caused him to let them both go.

"Wha-" He began, but he was cut off by her lips and he couldn't help but to get caught up in the moment. When the two finally pulled away from each other, Danny and Derek held up their hands in defense.

"We know you guys did it okay, you don't have to rub it in. Great job Jay, you finally got some, yippee!" Derek blurted sarcastically. Rolling his eyes at the younger boy's ridiculous comment, Jay turned to look at Manny, but found that she had disappeared.

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A/N: Next chapter, more Janny action! Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. 


	2. Jay Has a Heart?

**"More"**

**Chapter 2: Jay Has a Heart?**

Letting Danny and Derek off the hook, Jay turned and ran into the hallway. Why had Manny run off like that? Was she embarrassed because of the kiss? He shook his head because he knew that that was a ridiculous thought. The girl was way too drunk to even think about being embarrassed.

Opening all the doors in the hallway he had wandered into and yelling her name several times, Jay was starting to get worried when he couldn't find her. What if she had wandered off into the streets? Being piss drunk in the middle of the night wasn't that great, putting aside the fact that she was also wandering around randomly and probably upchucking on people's beautiful lawns. Shaking his head, and turning back around the corner, he was very surprised to run into just who he was looking for.

"Jay, oh my gosh I've been looking all over for you!" She yelled, and threw her arms around his neck.

Wrapping his arms around her waist and smiling, he mumbled, "Well, you're the one that ran off." She patted his back a little and then pulled out of the hug. Although he didn't exactly want to, Jay left his arm around Manny's waist, and surprisingly, she left him.

"So...?" She said, turning her head to look up at him. Looking back down at her with a blank look on his face, Manny wondered if Jay had even remembered that they had just kissed back in her living room.

"So...?" He echoed her. "What's on your mind?" Glancing away nervously, she sucked in a breath, hoping to keep from embarrassing herself.

"That kiss," she said softly, but just loudly enough for Jay to hear.

"Oh," he said. Manny did actually care about the moment they had shared. "You know, I...I was thinking about it, too."

"Is Jay st-st-stuttering?" She asked playfully, smiling up at him. As a smile appeared on his face too, she decided to study his features. His thick brown hair was brushed down around his face, and some of the streaks were blond. Piercing green eyes stared deep into her brown ones, and a very straight and precise nose sat right in the middle of his face. Thin, straight, pink lips were right beneath his perfect nose, and he was starting to regrow his mustache, she also noticed. There was also some stubble on his chin and she brushed it lightly with her fingers. His eyebrows were sort of thick and they went up a little when she touched his chin. Noticing that his full cheeks were turning pink, she pulled her hand away quickly. But instead of looking all awkward and shy, Jay grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. Before she could stop herself, she felt her hand snaking its way up behind his head and pushing it forward, so that his lips completely enveloped hers. She pushed him backwards into the wall, as she pried his mouth open with her tongue and then grabbed onto his belt loops. They tongue wrestled for several minutes before pulling apart for air.

"Wow," he breathed out, running a hand through his hair. "I felt like there was electricity pumping through my veins."

"Sparks?" She wondered.

"Maybe," he said nervously. Putting an arm around her shoulder, he said, "You know babe, most people avoid me like the plague. Especially after Emma...and Amy...and what I did to Alex. But you, you stick to me like glue." He paused, realizing what he was saying. "And I like that."

Licking her lips hungrily because she wanted him right then, she glanced up and began to search his eyes. "Does that mean you...like me?" She still slurred her words a bit, but to Jay, she sounded mad hot either way.

"You know, I think I might," he admitted, cupping his hand and stroking her face. "Do you feel the same?" He asked huskily. She breathed in his scent and sighed. God, he was turning her on right now.

"You know, I think I might," she replied. Jay laughed, and continued touching her anywhere she would let him.

"Manny just loves to tease, doesn't she?" he said jokingly.

"I sure do." She smirked, and raised her eyebrows as if challenging him. "We should go dance now, we were supposed to dance like a half hour ago." She reminded him, and grabbed his hand, dragging him back into the living room. "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven was booming out through the speakers, and there were plenty of couples already dancing on the temporary "dance floor," the larger part of the Santos living room.

She led him over to the middle of the room right below where the over sized chandelier hung. She swung her arms up and around his neck, and then she began moving to the music. Jay linked his arms around her waist as she began rubbing up against him. From the moment she started, he knew he wasn't going to be able to stand it for much longer. The way she moved and shook her hips from side to side so expertly made him want to rip her clothes off right then and there. No matter who was watching, he would do her right there on the carpet.

"Jay?" Her angelic voice pulled him from his reverie. "Earth to Jay?"

"Yeah?" He said.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "You looked a little spaced out for a minute there.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Okay, whatever you say." She removed her arms from around his neck and then wrapped them around his waist. Smashing her hips into his, she threw her head back, not realizing how good it would feel. Then she began to imagine how good it would feel with their clothes _off_. She let out a shaky breath as their hips collided again. Jay worried that he was going to get hard. All of a sudden, she began to move downwards, and she let her hands push against his legs all the way down. She shook around and rolled her stomach, and finally she was at his ankles. Teasingly, she began to pull at his pant legs.

"Whoa, honey! We should take this to the bedroom."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes and stood up, "you're not getting me into bed that easily."

Jay smirked and said, "I saw the look on your face when we were dry humping."

"_Grinding_...it's called _grinding_."

Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward and in his sexiest voice, he whispered, "You don't have to deny it, you know you want me. You can only resist it for so long. I heard you moan..." Pulling back and seeing that she was weak in the knees made him smile with victory.

Her legs wobbled, and she thought she would fall. "Wow, I guess you _did_ read my mind," she said, a smile beginning to form on her face.

"Do you mean that?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged. She linked her arms around his waist again, and began thrusting her hips against his. He pulled her closer to him, and cupped her ass. She gasped in surprise and he smirked. Wow, she fell for it quick. He'd be getting a piece of that ass soon enough.

She then grabbed his shoulders and began grinding up against him more. Pushing her chest into his, she felt Jay's hands running up and down her thighs now. He shamelessly stared down at her chest, his eyes bugging out of his head. Then his hands came up to squeeze her breasts. The couple could feel all eyes on them now.

"Damn, that's hot!" Manny heard a faraway person whisper. Smiling happily, she began rolling her stomach up against his and then twisting her hips around and around. Now gripping his upper arms to make him stay still, Manny leaned up towards Jay's face, feeling very hot. He grabbed her ass again and began bucking his hips up against hers. Just when they were really getting into it, the song ended. Manny, who had had her head tilted to the side staring at Jay, came back down to earth.

"SexyBack" blasted out of the speakers next. Jay groaned. "What's with the shitty pop music? Put on some Alexisonfire!" Sticking her tongue out and turning towards him, Manny pulled down the hem of her shirt and shook the goosebumps off her arms. With a quick movement and no thinking involved, she grabbed Jay's hand and climbed on top of the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" He whispered with a very stern look on his face. "Get down from there!" Giggling loudly, she just grabbed his forearm and pulled him up onto the table with her.

"Let's tell them," she leaned up and whispered in his ear. A confused expression washing over his face, he didn't even get to ask her what she was talking about before she blurted out a drunken statement.

"This is my boyfriend!" Pointing at Jay and grinning, she continued, "And he wants some Alexisonfire, so you better put some Alexisonfire on before I tell you all to get the fuck out of my house!"

The crowd just nodded; half of them were drunk, stoned, or both. Suddenly, Manny's hand flew to her stomach and she leaned over and threw up right on her parents' expensive carpet.

"Ooh, had too much to drink?" Jay asked, getting off the table and sitting down on top of it. Manny glared over at him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Don't go there," she said, trying to sound nonchalant about what had just taken place in her very living room. Her parents would be ashamed...actually, no, not really. They had seen worse...way worse. The worse, was of course, the Craig era.

Manny pulled her shirt off and lay it down over the watery stuff that had come out of her stomach. Jay just watched in amazement and decided to make his move. He grabbed her from behind and placed his arm around her shoulder. "I'm not in the mood, Jay," she mumbled, but he ignored her comment completely and began to run his fingers through her thick, curly hair fondly. Then he tilted her face up towards his and pressed his lips onto hers so forcefully that he felt her shudder with pleasure before he pushed his tongue into her mouth. Most of the living room was empty now, except for the occasional couple making out, the passed out person, or just people lying around doing nothing. Pushing Jay backwards and feeling her body temperature rise, Manny said, "My room, now."

Jay felt like grabbing between his legs and going wild with joy. He was going to get a piece of Manny Santos! Hot damn! Man, was he ready for this! She reached out for him and kissed him hard on the mouth, but still with passion...no, more like lust. She opened her mouth wider to let Jay slide practically his whole tongue into her mouth. She bit down on it, and she saw the corners of his mouth turn up. Jay's hand reached down and fumbled with her pants. He was walking backwards now, with Manny pushing him down the hallway. They backed into doors, drunk teenagers and then finally reached her room. Kicking the door shut and then walking towards the bed, Manny pushed against Jay's chest and he fell back onto the cushioned mattress. Before he could even inhale, she was on top of him, kissing him again. After a few minutes, his hand was stuck in the back pocket of her jeans and she was nibbling on his neck. No doubt about it, Jay was getting hotter by the second, but this just didn't feel right. I mean sure, Manny was kind of a slut and she could possibly have diseases - come on, Craig _and_ Spinner? - but that had nothing to do with it.

"Manny," he began, but he was interrupted by her panting with excitement.

"Take off your pants. Now!" She yelled, kissing him again, and reaching for his zipper. Jay grabbed her hand and their eyes met for one split second. When Jay saw how trashed she really was, he knew it wasn't right.

"Manny, stop!" He yelled, and she shrunk back in defeat. She slouched down and all her happiness disappeared.

"You don't want me, do you?" She realized. Shaking his head, and reaching out to her, he put his arm protectively around her shoulder.

"No, it's not that...it's just...I really do like you. And I'm one hundred percent sure that you would regret this in the morning, and I'm horrible, and you're not _that_ horrible, and I don't want to make you any more horrible because I actually do like you."

Manny brightened and Jay was glad to see that at least some of her happiness had been restored. "Aw! Jay, I'm not sure I followed any of that, but it sounded sort of sweet." Reaching for his hand, she stroked the skin between his thumb and index finger before she looked up at him again. "Come here!" She yelled, spreading her arms out. Not being able to resist, Jay opened his arms and hugged the girl he had actually taken the time to get to know in the past few hours. "You're sweet," she whispered over his shoulder, and Jay smiled warmly. Most people called him the worst possible names they could think of, but she had just called him sweet, and as much as he hated that word, he liked her.

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**A/N:** Review please!


	3. Do You Feel

**"More"**

**Chapter 3: Do You Feel**

"I'm glad you're being so nice, even though I don't know why," she said, scooting closer to him. Jay opened his arms and she did too, and they wrapped themselves up in each other. Resting her head on his shoulder, Manny felt more comfortable than she had ever been with any other guy - even Craig. "So..." she started, and then stopped. She began messing with Jay's belt loops. "Why am I so special?"

Sighing loudly and hugging her tighter, Jay whispered, "Because, you're just like...like an angel. I could never hurt an angel, no matter how horrible I may seem. No one can break an angel." Manny's breath caught in her throat, and before she knew it, her eyes began welling up with tears. No boy had ever said anything so heartfelt and sweet to her before. It kind of shocked her that the guy saying it was Jay, but then again, it's wasn't so shocking. Maybe if she gave him a chance, she could be the girl to change his ways.

Being with Manny would set an all new high standard for Jay...wait no, that'd be with Emma, sorry. Anyways, Manny could make Jay see that life would be a whole lot easier if he was just nicer to people and more understanding. She could be the one for Jay; the one to change his life for the better and to make him realize how much of a better person he could be. She had always wanted to be that person for someone, and knowing that she could be it for Jay really touched her heart. Thinking back to her freshman year, she had eventually realized that she was not that girl for Craig. He was Ashley's; he always was, and he always would be. She had finally come to terms with that, and she knew that her and Craig's friendship would end up working out.

As a tear made it's way down Manny's cheek, Jay's hand immediately went up to her cheek to brush it off of her flawless face. "It's okay, honey," he crooned. "What's wrong? I didn't do anything did I? Because I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything if I-" she cut him off before he could go any further.

"I'm okay, it's just that..." she paused to wipe away a few more tears that had began to cascade down her face. "It's just that...no guy has ever said anything so sweet...or so beautiful to me. Ever." Her last few words cracked, and Jay knew she was really getting emotional. Jason Hogart did not like being around emotional chicks. He remembered the first time he saw Alex cry, and that he had ended up getting kicked where it hurts after he laughed at her. Shivering and wanting to forget how painful that had been, Jay snapped back to reality.

Manny had pulled out of his arms to face him. "What you said to me had so much meaning...I don't even know what to say," she said, wiping away some more tears. "God, I can't stop crying!" Forcing out a laugh and taking Jay's hand in hers, she continued. "At first I thought that you were just nothing but another one of those shallow, sex obsessed guys. But now that I am seeing you for who you really are, I'm happy you were just being yourself all along. That's the most important thing in life, to just be yourself." Squeezing his hand and smiling faintly, she looked straight into his eyes and Jay felt weak. He felt as if he could start bawling right then and there. As if he could just take Manny in his arms and run with her all the way to New York.

Was it? No, that'd be impossible! Not after everything that had taken place with Alex. Was Jason Hogart..._falling in love_?

Jay shook his head, and smiled back at her. Wanting desperately to change the subject, he looked around the room for a topic of discussion. Spotting a poster on her wall, he knew exactly what to bring up. "I didn't know you liked Alexisonfire, too."

She nodded, still gripping his hand tightly, and looked at the poster that had caught his eye. "Back in their early days, they were _amazing_. My favorite song is 'Little Girls Pointing and Laughing.'"

Jay pursed his lips and commented, "Not bad. I think they've gotten better over time. My favorite song is 'To a Friend.'" Manny pondered over this information for a few minutes.

"That's a great song, but _Crisis_ was only so-so. Not the same as _Alexisonfire_, their debut." Seeming to forget that Jay had changed the subject from something serious to something more trivial way too quickly, Manny continued on. "What other bands do you like?"

"Finger Eleven of course, Arcade Fire, and some Three Days Grace. What about you?"

"Um, I used to like Lillix..." she chuckled and Jay cracked a smile. "But now I'm more into Silverstein and From Autumn to Ashes."

"That's cool. Do you want to listen to music, head back to the party, or what?" Manny giggled.

"Does Jay want to hang out with me even more?" He let out a laugh and then gazed at her, their hands still connected. Glancing up at her clock on the wall, Manny realized that it was almost two in the morning.

"So, the parents must be gone for the weekend right?" he asked smoothly, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. Nodding cautiously, Manny thought she saw a lustful look take over his face. Leaning into her, he asked huskily, "Does that mean I get to spend the night?" He rolled his tongue after the last word, causing Manny to stop breathing for a few seconds. Breaking into a grin, Jay grabbed her arm. "I'm just messing with you," he slurred. Manny hadn't even begun to think that he was just acting all sweet for show to get her into bed. All she had noticed was his husky voice and the fact that they were on her bed this very second.

"Oh," she finally responded. "You know what? I'm hungry, let's go grab a bite." Jay glanced up at her clock.

"Now? It's past two in the morning."

"I have food in my kitchen, you dummy!" She jumped off the bed and dragged him along with her. "If there's any left that is." Flicking off the light and closing the door behind them, Manny began to make her way to her kitchen, dragging Jay behind her. When they arrived, all that filled their noses was the sweet smell of baked goods and some finger foods on the side. Grabbing a hot dog off of a tray and sitting down at a bar stool, Jay noticed that the kitchen was actually full of food. Barely anybody had touched the party snacks.

"And you thought there was no food left?" Jay asked. Manny shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I didn't expect that there'd be. People usually start scarfing once they get here." She grabbed a cupcake with vanilla frosting from a platter. "But I guess it was different this time."

"I suppose most people are drinking and making out," Jay said after swallowing his first bite.

"Or they could be passed out," Manny proposed, walking over and taking a seat on the bar stool next to Jay. A laugh escaped his throat and Manny gasped.

"Did I just hear bad boy Jay actually _laugh _at one of my innocent-attempting-to-be-funny jokes?" The look of shock on her face made Jay want to laugh even harder.

"A dose of my own medicine, eh?" He punched her lightly on the shoulder. "Nice one." Manny clutched her shoulder and pretended to be in pain, which caused the pair to erupt into giggles.

After the laughter and giggles had died down, Jay watched her peel the cupcake's "skin" off and bite into it. She swallowed, licked her lips, and bit into it again. Traces of frosting were left all around her mouth and Jay craved her lips. "I want a bite!" He whined.

"Fine." Pushing the cupcake towards his face, Jay was starting to open his mouth when Manny shoved the cupcake onto his lips. Squeezing his eyes shut and getting ready to lick his lips, he heard Manny's laughter begin and then get louder and louder.

Starting to lick his lips, he felt Manny's breath on his skin all of a sudden. She was breathing pretty heavily, so Jay let his eyes open. Next thing he knew, Manny's lips were crashing onto his, and she was running her tongue over his upper lip as fast and with as much aggression as possible. Her hands came up to cup his face, and she was inching her way over onto his lap. Jay put one hand up to caress her face, and then grabbed her thigh, pulling her onto his lap all the way. She opened her mouth wider, and his tongue surged in. Their tongues slithered in circles, and then Manny pushed her tongue all the way into his mouth. After some more making out, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her body flush onto his. Jay pressed his back further into the chair so that Manny could move up a bit and wrap her legs around his waist.

"Come on," she whispered breathlessly. "Let's go back to my room." Feeling very angry at himself for too many reasons to count, Jay sighed heavily.

"I can't," he whispered back. "We're in your kitchen. And this just...wouldn't be right. Me and you actually taking it that far. It would ruin your image. Hell, it would ruin your _life_."

Frowning dejectedly, Manny shrunk back onto his lap. "Same as before, you don't want me."

Placing his hand gently on her shoulder, Jay whispered, "No, that's not it, babe. I just...I have to be the good guy now."

Starting to get up, she said, "You chose the worst possible time to be the good guy." Hopping off of his lap and storming off, Jay tried to call after her, but she refused to listen.

_Gosh_, he thought to himself_. First she hates me for being a sex obsessed jerk, and now she's pissed at me because I can't have sex with her. It's just not right; I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I took advantage of her like that. But wait, she's willing! It doesn't matter, she's still very vulnerable right now. No guy has ever treated her like she was special, and now you're the one doing that. You have to step up and show her the way. Show her a good time. Convince her to believe that you will become a better person for her and only her. _

"That's going to be pretty tough," Jay said to himself, getting up from the bar stool to grab another hot dog from the tray on the kitchen counter.

* * *

**A/N:** Janny is getting serious about their relationship! Please review. If I don't start getting more reviews for this story, I will probably not update for a while.


	4. Down and Out

**"More"**

**Chapter 4: Down and Out**

As Jay took a seat and began to eat his second hot dog, no one else but Emma and Darcy walked into the kitchen. He watched Darcy fill Emma a cup with water and then hand it to her. Steering her over to a seat and forcing her to sit down, Jay could tell that Darcy was trying to help a very drunk Emma. After Emma had taken a seat and was happily sipping her water, Jay watched Darcy get some cheese and crackers from the snack tray. Obviously aware that he had been staring at her, Darcy looked up and yelled, "What?!"

Swallowing what was left in his mouth and not removing his eyes from Darcy, he said, "Nothing. Just wondering why you're helping _her_."

She rolled her eyes and sighed rather impatiently. "Gosh, all I did was ask one simple question. I know we don't have the best history, but all you have to do is answer the question."

"You know what, Jay? You told me that my then boyfriend was going to go back to his ex if I didn't sleep with him. And guess what? I almost did. I almost lost my virginity when I was only _sixteen_ because of you. I'll never forget that."

"Well, if Spinner wasn't going to hit it, I sure would have."

"Ugh!" Darcy was very frustrated because Jay had now crossed the line. Walking back over to the refrigerator and pouring another glass of water, she felt her blood boiling. She then walked back over towards Jay and splashed it in his face. "You're a fucking pig."

Shaking the water off of his face and grinning, Jay said, "Manny Santos doesn't think so."

Stopping in her tracks while a look of shock came over her face, Darcy said, "What the hell did you do to her?" Emma sat at the kitchen table looking on in amusement as her friend and her worst enemy duked it out.

"Nothing. I just made her feel good, _really _good."

"Oh my God! You _had sex _with my friend?" Throwing her hands up in the air and sighing heavily, Darcy walked back over to Emma. "Come on Em, let's go find our friend." Turning back to Jay and giving him the evil eye, she continued, "That's why I'm helping her. Because she's my friend. I suppose you don't have any of those left anyway."

Darcy gripped Emma's left arm tight, but Emma still reached out as they were passing by. "Oh look! It's Jay, my ex-boyfriend!" She squealed with delight. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a huge kiss on his cheek.

"See, even _she_ thinks we went out!"

Darcy narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Shut up."

"Nah, I think I'll keep wasting my breath." Pausing to think of a witty comeback, Jay's face lit up when something came to his mind. "I hear a certain goody-two-shoes Christian isn't even a virgin anymore."

"That's it!" Letting go of Emma, who fell to the floor, Darcy grabbed Jay by the collar. "Rape doesn't count you slut muffin." Jay didn't flinch as the back of Darcy's left hand smacked against his right cheek. The red mark would look very cute on him. Smiling as Darcy dragged Emma out of the kitchen, he finally had to turn back to the emptiness of the kitchen. No wonder Darcy had no slut potential, she didn't even have an ass. Forget the religious crap, let loose, and have fun. That's what Jay did.

All of a sudden, Jay felt this extreme pounding in his head. _This can't be a hangover already_, he thought. _I haven't even gone to sleep yet. _Clutching at his head, hoping that that would stop the pain, Jay was disappointed when it didn't. The pain seemed to subside for a few minutes, but then it came back, full force. Jay banged his head against the kitchen counter, hoping the pounding would knock the pain out of him, but no such luck.

All Jay saw was Manny's face as he fell to the floor, clutching his throbbing head.

* * *

Manny decided to go and find another guy to make out with so Jay would get jealous. Even though it was her party, she didn't know many of the guys there. The only ones she really did know were...sigh, Danny and Derek. She knew it was a ridiculous idea, but she went to go find them anyways.

After looking in every room, closet, and hallway she could think of, Manny finally found the two boys in the living room playing Spin the Bottle with the same two freshman girls and a couple of freshman guys. Before she could stop herself, she went and sat down outside of their circle. "Can I play?" She piped up. All of the younger kids turned to look at her. One of the freshman girls, whom Derek had his arm around, began squealing out of control.

"Oh my gosh! It's Manny Santos!" The girl began fanning herself frantically with her hands. Everybody in the circle was giving her strange looks, so she stretched her arm out. "Hi Manny! I'm Jessica, and I'm one of your biggest fans."

Not wanting to embarrass the poor girl, Manny shook her hand stiffly. "Hi, Jessica. It's nice to meet you. I haven't even made it big as an actress yet, but I'm glad that you're one of my first fans."

Jessica squealed some more and shouted, "I'm never washing this hand again!" Wondering if she had made a huge mistake, Manny rolled her eyes and looked to the floor.

Danny gave her the once over and then glanced at Derek. "What are you doing here Manny?"

"Whatever do you mean Daniel? This is my house."

"No, I mean _here_." He made circular motions with his arm. "In the circle. With a bunch of freshmans and juniors."

"Oh." Manny shrugged and then fixed her eyes on the bottle. "I just want to play a game, that's all." With that said, she forced Danny and Derek to make room for her in the circle, grabbed the bottle, and spun it.

"Hey, it wasn't your turn!" Derek complained, but Danny shushed him so Manny would stay. Danny had always had a crush on her, and even if he only got to kiss her once, he would sure as hell remember it and treasure it. Sure enough, the bottle landed on Danny. He waited patiently for her to tell him that she was only going to kiss him on the cheek or something lame like that. Strangely, those words never came out of Manny's mouth and she grabbed him by his arm and pulled him towards her. She kissed him full on the lips, and Danny lost his breath as she pulled away.

Derek cheered, "Way to go my man! Your dream finally came true." Beaming proudly, Danny high fived his best friend and licked his lips in satisfaction. Manny Santos had finally kissed him. His dream really _had_ come true.

It was Derek's turn next. He spun the bottle and it kept spinning for what seemed like eternity until it landed on Jessica. They kissed quickly, and Jessica didn't even blush. "Thanks Der, but I want to kiss _Manny_." Her eyebrows waggled up and down, and Manny stiffened. She had never kissed a girl before, and she sure didn't plan on changing that now. Grabbing the bottle and twisting it into a circle, Jessica watched in anticipation as the bottle spun around and around and around. Covering her face with her hands, Manny prayed that the bottle would land on anyone but her. Her prayers were not answered, because the bottle stopped right in front of her feet. Surprisingly, Manny didn't even have to point to her face, because Jessica leaned over and planted one right on her left cheek.

"Oh my gosh, I just _kissed _Manny Santos!" She began fanning herself again, and Manny was afraid she would pass out.

"Why do you like me so much?"

"Why would I _not_ like you so much? I heard you ruled the school back in '03."

Shaking her head and laughing, Manny replied, "You're confusing me with Paige Michalchuk. I was the whore of the school back in '03."

"Who cares? You screwed around with Craig Manning behind Ashley Kerwin's back. That's plain awesome!" Jessica reached out and gave her a high five, which made Manny smile. Maybe Jessica would actually turn out to be pretty cool.

Now it was some freshman guy's turn. When Manny turned around to see if Jay was coming, Danny nudged the bottle which had actually landed in front of him towards Manny. As she turned around dejectedly, she saw that the bottle had landed on her. The guy leaned over and she kissed him softly, their lips barely touching.

Since Manny kept turning around, Danny kept nudging the bottle towards her. She noticed that the bottle kept landing on her, and she knew that it wasn't just by chance, but she didn't say anything about it. By the time everyone got tired of playing the game, Manny had kissed each boy in the circle three times. She felt like she might want to throw up. Not because of the fact that she had kissed so many younger boys repeatedly and _willingly_, but because of the fact that none of their lips felt like Jay's. Did having these thoughts about him mean that she liked him? Not only was she not sure, but she was confused. She didn't want him to be like a puppy dog chasing after her, but she thought that he would have at least followed her into the living room. Unfortunately, he hadn't, and he was still nowhere in sight. Oh well, she thought, he's probably in my bedroom or some hallway making out with some other girl.

All of a sudden, Darcy rushed up, dragging an obviously drunk Emma along with her. "Hey Darce!" Manny greeted her friend cheerfully, but Darcy just glared at her.

"How could you? And with _Jay_?"

"Oh, turning into Ms. Defensive again, huh?"

"Forget it. We all need to go have a talk with that hoodlum!"

"Don't call him that! Sit Emma down on the couch; she'll probably fall asleep." Pursing her lips, Manny continued. "I'm not going in that kitchen if he's in there."

"He told me that you guys..." Darcy trailed off, forgetting that they were still right in front of the freshmans and juniors. Jessica giggled, and all of the guys' eyes were wide with curiosity.

Grabbing Manny's arm and pulling her up, Darcy grumbled, "Help me get Emma to the couch." The two dragged Emma over to the couch and set her down. She kept rolling her head in circles, and Manny was worried that she was as drunk as she was at the other gigantic extravaganza.

Pulling Manny into a secluded corner of the room, Darcy whispered, "Jay told me that you guys had sex. Is it true?"

Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest, Manny argued, "Why is that any of your business?"

Darcy also rolled her eyes and put on her 'isn't-it-obvious-' face. "Because it's _Jay_, you know how he is! I can't believe you'd do that!"

Manny didn't flinch. "I still don't see why it's any of your business."

"Come with me and we'll talk to him." Darcy tried to grab Manny's arm, but she didn't budge.

"Why? What is there to talk about?"

"I just want to verify something very important. Please just come with me."

"I'm not moving until you tell me why."

"I just want to know what's going on with you two, that's all."

"I already told you, Darcy! It's none of your fucking business!"

A look of shock came over Darcy's face and then she swallowed hard. "Fine. I'll go talk to him myself then." Storming off towards the kitchen, Darcy didn't even turn to look back at Manny. Watching her get so upset made Manny feel bad, but Darcy Edwards could be such a hypocrite sometimes that it wasn't even the least bit funny.

She felt a jolt in her stomach then, as if something very bad was about to happen. Suddenly, she heard a blood curdling scream come from the kitchen. Everybody paused for a few seconds, but didn't even get up to go and see what was going on. Even though she knew that both Darcy and Jay were in there, Manny raced into the kitchen anyway.

When she got there, she realized that they were in fact the only two in there, and that the scream had come from Darcy's mouth. "I'm mad at you two right now so-" Manny began, but she was cut off by the breath that caught in her throat.

Darcy was clutching at her chest and she had stepped back from a body lying on the floor. Dropping to her knees, Manny realized that it was Jay who was lying on the floor.

"Is he unconscious?" Manny asked breathlessly, reaching out to him and placing her hand on his chest. His eyes were open and she noticed that they were also bloodshot. A long trail of blood had escaped from Jay's mouth and had made a decent sized puddle around him and all over her kitchen floor. Placing her other hand on his chest and beginning to pump, she realized that there was nothing more she could do.

Darcy had begun to hyperventilate and she was in the corner puffing air into a brown paper bag. Frantically rising to her feet, Manny grabbed her cell phone off the counter and rushed back over to Jay. Immediately dialing 911, she wasn't surprised when she was put on an extended hold. Placing the phone onto the ground, she leaned down over Jay's face. Without hesitation, she pressed her lips onto his, and began breathing air into him. If mouth to mouth resuscitation could save his life, then it was worth it. Sure she was mad at him, and sure he wasn't the greatest person in the world, but Manny had the chance to save a life, and she would do it.

* * *

**A/N:** In the next chapter, you'll find out what happened to Jay and he and Manny will discuss their relationship in further detail.


	5. Taking Action

**"More"**

**Chapter 5: Taking Action**

As Manny began to breathe more air into him, she noticed his chest rising and falling. He was finally breathing, but he still hadn't come to all the way. Darcy, who was trying to regain control of her breathing also, kept asking Manny if Jay was okay. "I'm working on it, Darce. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine."

After a few more gusts of air, Jay finally sputtered out some blood and sat up. Wiping the blood off his mouth with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, he glanced around him. Starting to shake a little, his eyes finally found Manny's. "What happened?" he asked, folding his arms tightly around himself.

Beaming proudly, Manny touched his elbow lightly. "We're not sure, baby. I'm just really glad you're alive." While leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek, she remembered that she still needed to get Jay to the hospital. "Darcy, can you hand me the phone?"

Groping around blindly, Darcy finally found the phone at the far side of the kitchen under a cabinet. "Here you go," she said, handing the phone over to Manny. She looked worried, and Darcy noticed Jay beginning to shake more and more. Dialing 911, Manny wasn't surprised when she still couldn't get through. By the time she turned to look at Jay, he lay down on the floor again, shaking violently.

"Oh my gosh!" she yelled, throwing the phone down again. "What's happening?" Covering her mouth with her hand, Darcy ran out of the kitchen.

"Everybody, go home!" Manny heard her yell. "Something horrible has happened, and Manny and I need to work it out." Spotting Emma sitting on the couch, she said, "Of course, you can stay Emma." Walking over to her, Darcy helped Emma up and brought her into the kitchen. By then, Manny was on top of Jay, trying to get him to stop shaking.

"Darce, come here! I need your help." Trying to pin Jay down, Manny held onto both of his ankles tightly, but that did no good. Since she had already tended to Emma, Darcy went back over to where she had been with Jay and Manny. She was stunned at the sight below her. Still flailing around, Jay's arms were crossed even tighter around him and his eyes were wide open; he seemed to be staring straight up at the ceiling. Dropping to her knees, Darcy got ahold of Jay's arms and tried to hold them still.

The front door banged open and teens began to leave the Santos home. All the commotion had died down and nothing eventful was taking place, so Manny assumed that everyone had left. Hearing the front door bang again, she got up to lock it. Remembering the crisis that was unfolding, she raced into the kitchen, snatched her

phone up, and walked into the foyer. A beeping sound came from the phone, and Manny knew that the holding period had expired. She dialed 911 again, and waited patiently for the operator to pick up. After she was put on hold yet again, she decided to take some action. Running back into the kitchen, Manny spotted Darcy sitting at Jay's side, trying to get him to settle down. It seemed as though Jay was in a trance. Knowing that he needed help and fast, Manny rushed over to him.

Cupping her hand and starting to stroke his face, Manny jerked her hand back when Jay began to cough again. "Come on, we've got to get him to the hospital!" Manny shouted, the worry in her voice becoming obvious. Biting her bottom lip, Darcy looked from Jay to Manny to Emma. She wasn't sure about the choice she was going to make, but if it was going to save a life, she guessed that she had no choice but to do it. Even if it was Jay Hogart. "Darcy? Come on, help me here!"

Shaking her head, Darcy looked up at Manny and then remembered what was taking place. "We can't just leave Emma here! I'll go get her."

"Fine, while you do that, I'll get Jay into the car." Rising to her feet, Manny gripped Jay's arm tightly and pulled him up. Since he was too heavy for her to carry, she'd just have to lean him up against her side. Placing her arm around his shoulder, Manny practically dragged Jay into the foyer. Flipping the light switch on so she could see, Manny managed to pull her house key out of her back pocket and open the front door. Once she had done that, she dragged Jay outside. When the cold night air hit her face, she felt like turning around and going back inside. But she knew that she had a mission to accomplish, and she wasn't going to back down from it. Trying to make it to the car before Jay fell, Manny felt a huge wave of relief come over her when she reached her car, opened the door and almost threw Jay down onto the backseat.

Slamming the door shut, Manny went to go see what was taking Darcy so long. When she entered her house, she heard someone screaming and crying. Entering her living room, she saw that Emma had collapsed onto the floor. "Damn!" She mumbled as she ran over towards Emma and Darcy. As Darcy tried to wipe the tears away, Manny quieted her down and told her to go see how Jay was doing in the car. Getting down onto her knees, Manny leaned down next to Emma and felt for her pulse. Although she felt it, Emma's pulse was very faint, as if she was slipping away. Throwing her head back to look at the ceiling, Manny yelled, "Why is this happening to me, oh Lord? What have I done to deserve this?"

Emma kept tossing her head back and forth, and Manny wondered what could possibly be wrong with her best friend. _Maybe it was alcohol poisoning_, she thought. She had heard about this alcohol poisoning scare that had taken place when Sean had had the apartment all to himself. This chick that Sean had gone out with named Amy had collapsed from consuming too much alcohol. Manny wondered how much more of this she was going to be able to take. Why was everyone passing out on her? Maybe it was because she deserved some tragedies in her life. After all, she had stomped all over Ashley like it was nothing, and now she was getting hurt by several of her closest friends. Maybe she just needed to take a walk in someone else's shoes for once. Although she should be learning a very valuable lesson, Manny decided that she would actually rather be the whore that always gets it good. What a shame.

Lifting Emma up, Manny had to lean her up against her so she could walk her to the door. When she got to the foyer, Emma fell down and she refused to move, so she called for Darcy. "Darcy! I need your help!" When she didn't hear footsteps, Manny called out for her again. "Darcy, Emma won't move. Come help, _please_!" After a few more minutes, Darcy appeared in the doorway.

"Look Manny, as much as I want to help, I still have a curfew!"

"Darce, just shut up and help me with Em, you're going to be fine. I'm sure your parents will understand, since you are doing a good deed." Darcy's face lit up and she smiled warmly at Manny.

"Thanks for the reassurance. I gave Jay some water to drink and he's doing a little better." Manny nodded and sighed. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head and running a hand through her hair, Manny licked her lips. "Nothing, nothing...everything." Reaching over to pat her friend on the back, Darcy noticed Manny's sullen face.

"It's okay. Jay and Emma are going to be fine as soon as we get to the hospital."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Manny looked up and gave Darcy a small smile. The two girls reached down and lifted Emma up, one on either side of her. Darcy pulled the door open and they rushed out into the piercing night air. When Manny looked up, she realized that the car was empty. The passenger's door was wide open, but there was no one inside the car.

"Oh my gosh!" Manny yelled as Emma slipped from her grasp. Turning her head ever so slightly, she realized that Jay had taken off down the street and was about to run out in front of a vehicle.

* * *

"Darcy, there's Jay! He's out in the street!" Manny yelled, beginning to run towards the sidewalk. Before she got far, Darcy pointed to the car.

"Manny, Jay's sitting in the car right there." Walking over towards her new car, Manny saw Jay sprawled out over the backseat. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" asked a very concerned Darcy. Nodding absently, Manny breathed in the cold night air.

"Yeah, I just think I'm a little stressed out with everything that's happened tonight," Manny said softly, rubbing her temples and turning to Darcy. "I think you should drive, I don't want to kill us all." Darcy bit her lip and looked away, and Manny placed a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "No, Darce. I wasn't being serious," Manny whispered, letting out a lighthearted chuckle. "I just think it's better to be safe than sorry."

Darcy looked up at her friend. She could see that she was both worried and exasperated, and she knew that she had to do her best to help her. "Okay, Manny. I know how to drive, and I'm going to do my best to help a friend in need."

Manny smiled and leaned in to hug Darcy. "Thanks so much," she said. "But we should help Emma into the car first." Looking down, Darcy realized that Emma was still hunched over on the ground.

"Yeah, of course," she said, giggling a bit. She was happy that everything was now under control, thanks to Manny.

The girls made their way over to the car and helped Emma into the backseat. After Emma was settled, Manny climbed in on the other side of Jay. She snuggled up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He had pretty much played her like a game, but she was sure he would want her to feel safe in his arms.

As the driver's door slammed shut, Manny heard Jay whisper, "I'm sorry for acting the way I did. Please forgive me?" Leaning back to look up into his eyes, she nodded. "Of course." Then she snuggled back into his arms and entwined their fingers tightly. She was pretty sure she could lie here forever and just forget about the rest of the world. When the sound of Darcy's seat belt buckle clicking hit her ears, something occurred to Manny.

"Darcy, do you have your license?"

Turning to look at her, Darcy sucked her teeth. "Aw, sugar. I usually keep it in my wallet, but I came here with Emma, so I didn't have to drive."

"Oh, that's fine. Just use mine and tell them it's actually my car, and that you're just driving some friends to the hospital because they needed some help."

"Hopefully it works," Darcy said, turning back around to the front of the car. She took a deep breath, and put the car in drive. As she backed out of the driveway, she thought she heard rain pattering down on the roof of the vehicle. "Aw, sugar. Manny, I can't drive in heavy rain."

Manny straightened herself up and leaned over the back of the passenger seat. "Do you want me to come up front with you?" Darcy nodded weakly. Rolling her eyes, Manny mumbled a quick sorry to Jay and got out of the backseat and moved up front so Darcy wouldn't go crazy over a little rain. "It's going to be fine, and it's probably not rain anyway." The pattering sounds got louder and Manny regretted her words. "Um, just back out and if you can't drive, just wake me up."

"What? You can't go to sleep-" Darcy began, but Manny was already resting her head on the passenger's seat headrest. "Fine," Darcy grumbled, and backed out onto the street. "I guess it's just me and my goodwill." She pressed down hard onto the acceleration pedal, and the car went screeching down the road.

* * *

The ride was very quiet, since all of the other passengers were in a deep sleep. Darcy turned the corner onto the highway, and realized that there was a mini traffic jam up ahead. There were also some police cars at the stoplight. Taking a deep breath and driving on, Darcy tried to reassure herself by repeating Manny's instructions in her head. _They'll understand. Everything will be fine_, she whispered. She pulled into the left lane alongside an oddly familiar red Sudan. As if the person had read her mind, they rolled down their window and Jane's head popped out. Deciding it would be best to be polite, Darcy rolled down the window, too.

"Hey Darce! Where you headed?" Jane asked casually.

"Uh, the...bookstore," Darcy lied.

"Impromptu plans?" Jane asked curiously, her black lips curling into a grin. Nodding furiously, Darcy tried to keep her cool and not look the least bit suspicious. "Who you got with you?" Darcy became flustered. _Why was Jane asking her all these questions? They weren't __**that**_ _close._

_"_Manny and Emma are in the back," Darcy mumbled nervously. She twiddled her thumbs to pass the time. Jane nodded and leaned back into the car. When she began rolling up her window, Spinner yelled, "Hey Darcy!" Pursing her lips, Darcy realized that they had booze with them. Spinner sounded so drunk, it was pitiful. They were going to be in deep shit since the police were up ahead. Even though the traffic had only moved about an inch, Darcy surged forward, ramming right into the back of the car in front of them.

"Oh my gosh!" she yelled. Manny sat up.

"Not this again," she mumbled.

* * *

**A/N:** **Review** please! Also, don't just say update soon, tell me what you liked about the chapter and what you would like to see happen.


	6. More than a Daydream

**"More"**

**Chapter 6: More than a Daydream**

Because of Jay's past, Darcy hadn't taken much interest in him as a person. Observing the two conversing outside her window, she realized why her friend had a thing for him. She wasn't going to bitch about all of Jay's wrongdoings any longer, she was just going to let Jay and Manny decide what they wanted to do. After all, it _was _their relationship. Darcy straightened in her seat to find the never ending line of traffic still sitting in place. A rapping sound caught her attention, and with a glance to the right, she realized it was Manny standing outside. Pressing the down button for the driver's window, Darcy was startled when Manny immediately began barking out orders.

"Darce, Emma needs to come with us. Mr. Richman, the police officer we talked to earlier, is going to direct you to the station. You can drive my car to your house if necessary. I'm pretty sure the hospital will make sure we all get a ride back to my house."

"Are you sure your dad won't lose his mind on you for wrecking his ride again?" Darcy said with a lighthearted laugh. Manny stuck her tongue out and bit down on it.

"Shut up, my dad still doesn't know about the first time!" Sirens could be heard blaring off in the distance, and Manny snapped her head towards the direction they were coming from. The police officers were coming up the street, which caused them to make a scene. Picturing all the heads turning with a mixed look of shock and disgust on their faces reminded Manny of some of her school experiences. Unfortunately, it made her head hurt thinking about it. Manny shook the horrible images out of her head and turned to Darcy. "Help me get Emma out of the car," she whispered. Opening the back door, she couldn't believe what she saw.

There sat Emma, Jay's lighter in her hand, trying to set his leather jacket on fire. "Emma!" Manny yelled, immediately getting her attention. She looked up, her eyes widening as they met Manny's.

"I was just, experimenting," she said nonchalantly, rolling her head back.

"By lighting Jay's leather jacket on fire?" Manny asked, annoyance fraying her every word. Reaching forward, she grabbed Emma's forearm. "Just come on, the cops are waiting for us."

"What? Wh-Why?" Emma stuttered, planting her feet as firmly as she could on the ground. "What did we do? What did _he_ do?"

"Go now, ask questions later on," Manny said, leading Emma away from her car. Before the two girls jogged up the street, Manny turned and waved to Darcy. Watching them, Darcy had to laugh to herself. Oh, the wonderful things true friends did for each other.

* * *

Upon arriving at the hospital, Manny had signed both Jay and Emma in on the waiting list. The three were now sitting among the rows of chairs, waiting until Jay or Emma was called on by a doctor. "We should get some grub," Jay mumbled, picking at his stubble. When no one responded, he continued on. "God, I'd kill for a smoke right about now." Just as Manny was leaning her head back, Emma retorted.

"You fucking smoke? So that's what smelled like ass in the backseat."

"Ah, you know you love it, Em," Jay shot back, smiling in satisfaction.

"I don't love anything about you, you fucking slimeball asshole pig!" Emma shouted, leaning over Manny's lap to flick Jay on the knee.

"Can't keep your hands off me huh sweet cheeks," Jay said, reaching over and running his thumb over Emma's cheek quickly.

"Go screw yourself!" Emma shouted even louder than before. Other early morning patients turned to stare.

"You guys, settle down," Manny suggested, but Jay and Emma were having none of it.

"Please, there are plenty of chicks lining up to screw me, including you!" Jay yelled playfully, gaining pleasure from Emma's pain.

"Guys!" Manny said, raising her voice slightly.

"In your extra wet dreams," Emma said, with a flash of her blond curls.

"That's it!" Manny yelled, grabbing both of their wrists, startling the two.

"Emma Nelson," a petite brunette doctor said, tapping her pen against her clipboard.

"That's me!" Emma said, prying her wrist free of Manny's grasp and raising her hand high. When she followed the doctor to a set of double doors, Jay sighed with relief and turned to Manny. But before Emma pushed through them, she turned around and mouthed "have fun" to Manny.

"Babe, the uptight bitch is no longer in the vicinity. Wanna go somewhere and do a little somethin', somethin'?" he asked suggestively, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Gosh, Jay, you're sick," Manny said. "And you still have blood on the corners of your lips," she complained, turning away from him, a disgusted look plastered onto her face.

"Would you like to lick it off?" he asked, leaning over the armrest and running his tongue over his upper lip in that irresistible way of his. When she didn't turn around, Jay sighed in exasperation and licked the corners of his lips. "At least get something to eat with me?" he pleaded, running his fingers softly over hers.

"Sure," she replied, moving her hand to stop him from trying to grab it. "You promise to behave?" she asked sternly, her teeth practically clenched.

"Gosh, you remind me of my mom at the candy store when I was five," he scoffed, sticking his tongue out. When Manny's faced remained solemn, Jay rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Promise," he groaned, the index and middle finger of his right hand crossed where Manny couldn't see. At that, Manny let Jay grab her hand and lead the way to the hospital cafeteria.

* * *

Once there, the couple previewed the menu on the wall. Before Manny could even glance down the list of hot meals, Jay had already made his choice. "A chili dog with a plate of hot fries!" he yelled, jamming his hand into his pocket to fish for cash.

"Wow, at three in the morning babe?" Manny said, glancing his way.

"Whatever, I haven't had a chili dog in months!" Jay said, squealing like a little girl.

"Okay then, I'll have a slice of pizza."

"That's it?" Jay asked, pulling a crumpled twenty out of his pocket and holding it up to show her.

"Yeah, it's my comfort food. It helps ease stress, but sometimes it reminds me of something rather unpleasant."

"What?" Jay wondered, stepping closer to her.

"Nothing," Manny said, lowering her head. "Being in this hospital makes it even worse." When Jay still looked concerned, she continued on. "It involves Emma, so you probably don't want to know." She hoped he would get the picture and drop the subject.

"Since you obviously don't want to talk about it, I'll go tell the...dude what we want." Smiling softly, Manny sat down at a small table in the back of the cafeteria near a cracked window. Humid air brushing her cheeks when she sat down, Manny fixed her eyes on the bright stars painted against the pitch black night sky. The way the stars just twinkled in place, so still and unmoving, intrigued her. Sometimes, it was nice to just stop time and watch them. To let them captivate her and take her on an untrodden path, the path never to be taken again. Squeaking boots caused her to be pulled out of her reverie, but Jay was worth more than a daydream any day of the week.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, plopping down onto the chair across from her.

"Yeah," she said softly, giving him a very forced half smile. "Just, can you and Emma stop fighting...for me?" Taking her hand in his, Jay gave her a quick half smile.

"Babe, I'd do more than stop fighting with Emma for you," Jay began. "I'd climb the highest mountain, swim across the widest river, walk all the longest miles, and tons more...all just for you," he said, pointing to her to emphasize his point.

"That's sweet, really sweet, but it's just really stressful for me sometimes, you know?" Locking eyes with her, Jay cracked another smile.

"No, I _don't_ know because nothing is ever really stressful for me, but...it must be tough for you with your controlling dad and all."

"Thanks for trying Jay, but it's not just my dad. It's Em, Darce, school itself, Spirit Squad...and just, everything all at once!" When she saw Jay's eyebrows go up, she pulled her hand away lightly.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to drag you into my pity party."

"No, it's okay, it's perfectly fine," Jay reassured her, reaching for her hand again. "I'm here," he whispered, leaning over the table and brushing his lips against her cheek.

"I don't know if this is the right time," she added, hoping Jay would disagree with her.

"This is the right time because you're worth more to me, than - "

"More than a daydream," Manny interrupted. "That's how much you mean to me." Squeezing her hand tightly, Jay gave Manny the brightest smile she had ever seen in her life.

* * *

The waiter had arrived with their meals, and Jay and Manny were sitting, holding hands and enjoying them like any other couple. After Manny had finished her pizza, Jay had practically forced her to share his fries with him.

"You're not going to get fat if that's what you're thinking," he said, taking a sip of his Budweiser, straight out of the bottle, as usual. "And plus, your ass could use a little rounding out if you ask me," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, nobody asked you!" she said, faking anger.

"Hey, just a suggestion," he defended himself, before popping a fry into his mouth.

"Do you think they're ready for you yet?" Manny asked out of the blue.

"I don't care because we haven't made out in, oh, two hours?" he said, glancing down at his wrist watch, which was falling apart pretty badly.

Leaning over the table, Jay grinned at Manny, licking his full lips and making them even pinker than they already were. When she didn't lean forward, Jay leaned over the table even more, almost knocking over his half full bottle of beer.

Since he had licked his lips in that way of his, Manny had to give in. Leaning forward a bit, she pressed her lips to his, instantly feeling the fireworks. Before long, he was forcing her lips open with his tongue and running his fingers up her thigh. Turning away, she put her hand over his face to get him to stop.

"Jay, I would, but not here," she said, gesturing towards the mostly empty cafeteria and its few early morning patrons.

"Babe, are you embarrassed to be with me?" Jay asked, leaning back into his chair. "I mean, I know PDA's pretty bad, and you're not used to bad boys with hearts, but..."

"No Jay, it's just that...we're in the fucking_ hospital_. What do you want to do...go hardcore on the table?"

"Naughty, naughty!" Jay yelled, wagging his index finger at her. "I like 'em like that!" He winked and gave her one of his "upper-class" smiles.

Rolling her eyes, Manny finally fixated them on the beer bottle at the right of Jay's head. "Can I have a sip?" she asked, wrapping her fingers around the bottle's neck.

"Babe, it's a little strong. You sure?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.

"What have I got to lose? And besides, don't you _love_ sharing?"

"Go ahead, but don't blame me when the hangover's even _worse_ in the morning," Jay said with a flick of his wrist.

"How would I know? I've never actually been drunk," Manny said, bringing the bottle to her lips. At that, Jay's jaw dropped.

"Ms. Lost-her-virginity-to-Craig-Manning has_ never_ actually gotten wasted before?!" Jay yelled, slapping his palm on the table. "This is a _revelation_! Gosh, if I could get that smoke right about now!"

"What's so astonishing about that? I was only Craig's occasional pickup, so why should we have gone kegging together?" Shrugging his shoulders, Jay bit down on his bottom lip.

"I don't know, that's just what couples do, I guess. Most of the couples that I know, at least."

"Well, we did snort together," Manny said, after taking her first long sip. Mouth agape, Jay leaned over the table again.

"_Coke_?_ You_ and _Emo Craig_ were _snorting coke_?" Nodding her head up and down in an alcohol induced bob, Manny giggled softly.

"_I know_, right? You're even _more_ shocked. Aren't I a sucker for love?"

"Well," Jay began, unsure of how to respond. Luckily for him, Manny continued on.

"I was like, his _slave_. Everything he said _do_, I did it. Keeping our secret from Ashley, getting the abortion even though for some odd reason he wanted to keep the little shitter, supporting him when he and Ellie got close, all of his dumbass friends, the music, the drugs - "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jay yelled, cutting her off. "You had an _abortion_?!"

"Yeah," she said, as if it were obvious that she'd had her own fucking _offspring_ murdered. "It didn't even hurt...not like they said it would, anyway."

Since Jay was still leaned over the table, she continued on with all the juicy details. "He basically forced me to keep the kid, and when I told him I was going to the clinic, he went ballistic. Thank God Emma was there to keep him from attacking me."

"Babe," Jay said softly, "this is some deep shit."

"Aint it?" Manny said, shaking her head. "The story of my life."

"You don't _have_ to talk about it," Jay said, hoping she would take his lead and shut her mouth.

"No, I want to discuss this. You have the right to know, you're my friend...that just happens to _not_ know my life story."

"Ah, it always comes back to the Emster," Jay replied, rolling his eyes. Swigging another sip from the bottle, Manny smiled at him through eyes that were very glazed over.

"We should have more of these..._conversations_," Manny said, finding it hard to get the word out.

"Yeah," Jay agreed, "but how about when you're at least_ half_ sober?" The look on her face still blank, Manny sighed. This caused Jay to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Now this is why we're having so much fun together!" Jay hooted, rolling his hand into a fist and pumping it in the air.

"Cheers to that!" Manny shouted, holding up the Budweiser. The two beamed at each other, and the waiter, who was now wiping the tables down, wondered if he should call one of the nurses.

* * *

**A/N:** I decided to go for a more upbeat theme in this chapter, to get away from all the tragic events. Sorry it took so long for an update. I've been working on so many projects at once. This story will have about twelve chapters, and I'm considering doing a sequel. What did you guys think of their plot in "Owner of a Lonely Heart?" I thought it was pretty interesting. Especially how the engagement came about. I will be updating regularly from now on, so please don't give up on this story! Please review and tell me what you thought of it!


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